Apparatus for controlling the flow of gases

ABSTRACT

APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING THE FLOW OF A GASEOUS MEDIUM WHEREIN BAFFLES WITHIN A TUBULAR MEMBER FORM SEPARATE CHAMBERS FOR RECEIVING THE GASEOUS MEDIUM EACH HAVING ITS OWN EXIT PORTS WHICH ARE AT DIFFERENT LOCATIONS BELOW THE LEVEL OF A QUANTITY OF LIQUID AND PROVIDE FOR THE PROGRESSIVE RELEASE OF THE GASEOUS MEDIUM FROM THE RESPECTIVE CHAMBERS FOR BUBBLING THROUGH THE LIQUID WITHOUT SIGNIFCANTLY DISTURBING THE LIQUID BELOW THE LEVEL WHERE THE GAS IS FLOWING THROUGH THE EXIT PORTS.

Sept. 21,1971

R. D; REED APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING THE'FLOW OF GASES Filed April 30, 1969 .IIIIII: I :1 in

INVENTOR ROBERT D. REED r I lh-L ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,606,985 APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING THE FLOW OF GASES Robert D. Reed, Tulsa, Okla., assignor to John Zink Company, Tulsa, Okla. Filed Apr. 30, 1969, Ser. No. 820,446 Int. Cl. B01d 47/02 US. Cl. 261124 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Apparatus for controlling the flow of a gaseous medium wherein bafiles within a tubular member form separate chambers for receiving the gaseous medium each having its own exit ports which are at different locations below the level of a quantity of liquid and provide for the progressive release of the gaseous medium from the respective chambers for bubbling through the liquid without significantly disturbing the liquid below the level where the gas is flowing through the exit ports.

The present invention pertains to apparatus for controlling the fiow of a gaseous medium and more specifically pertains to a housing containing a supply of liquid with structure detachably mounted on the housing for delivering a gaseous medium into the housing below the surface of the liquid including bafiles and discharge ports whereby the gaseous medium is released below the surface of the liquid in such a manner as to avoid pressure surges.

Apparatus for delivering a gaseous medium for upward movement through a liquid has been employed and the gas has in the past been released at different depths below the surface of the liquid. Such devices provide surging and pressure variations upstream and downstream of the device, and it is an object of the present invention to provide apparatus for guiding a gaseous medium to a position below the level of a liquid and to provide bafiles and ports so arranged that initial flow of gas through the ports avoids disturbance of the liquid below the level of the ports through which the gas is being released to thereby substantially reduce inertial effect of varying liquid levels adjacent the device.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a tubular member for guiding a gaseous medium to a position below the level of liquid and to provide baflles within the tubular member which form chambers for receiving the gaseous medium under pressure and to provide escape ports for each chamber at different positions below the level of the liquid so that the gaseous medium escaping from flow ports at a high level does not substantially alter the liquid level within the tubular member therebelow to thereby stabilize the flow of the gaseous medium from the respective ports.

Other objects and features of the invention will be appreciated and become apparent to those skilled in the art as the present disclosure proceeds and upon consideration of the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the annexed drawing wherein an embodiment of the invention is disclosed.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a housing with a portion broken away and showing apparatus embodying the invention for controlling the flow of gases.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view on a larger scale and taken on the line 22 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a sectional plan view taken on the line 33 of FIG. 1.

The invention pertains to apparatus for controlling the flow of gases and includes structure for guiding a gaseous medium to a position below the level of a supply of liquid. An increase in the flow of the gas causes liquid to be displaced so that the gas may escape as bubbles through the liquid. The apparatus serves to prevent reverse flow of the gas by moving the liquid into a tubular member which forms a column of liquid of significant height.

Referring to the drawing, a housing 10 is shown in FIG. 1 which may be of any suitable shape and adapted to retain a supply of liquid such as water at a level 11 therein. The housing is provided with a conduit fitting 12 which serves as an outlet for a gas which is released below the level of the liquid within the housing. The structure for controlling the release of the gas at different zones below the liquid level 11 includes a tubular member 14 which is equipped at its upper end with an annular flange 16. The tubular member 14 is adapted to depend through a guide tube 18 equipped with a flange 21 at its upper end for attachment to the housing 10. Gaskets 22 serve to seal the flange 16 with respect to the flange 21. The tubular member 14 and the guide tube 18 may be suitably attached to the housing 10 and the tubular member 14 serves as an inlet conduit for the gaseous medium. The lower end of the tubular member 14 depends below the level 11 of the liquid within the housing 10 as shown in FIG. 1.

The lower interior portion of the tubular member 14 is equipped with a plurality of annular baffles. A large diameter baflle 26 is of smaller diameter than the tubular member 14 to provide an annular space 27 between the interior of the tubular member 14 and the perimeter of the baflle 26. An annular flange 28 carried by the lower end of the bafile 26 may be welded or otherwise secured in a sealed relationship with the interior of the tubular member 14. A plurality of initial flow ports 29 are arranged in rows around the tubular member 14 and above the annular flange 28.

A second annular baflle 31 is provided within the lower end portion of the tubular member 14. The baflle 31 has a smaller diameter than the baflle 26 so as to provide an annular space 32 bet-ween the interior surface of the baflle 26 and perimeter of the baffle 31. An annular flange 33 carried by the lower end of the bafile 31 joins the interior surface of the tubular member 14 in a sealed relationship. A plurality of first flow increment ports 36 are provided through the tubular member 14 above the flange 33 and below the flange 28. The tubular member 14 is equipped below the annular flange 33 with a plurality of total flow ports 38 and the lower end of the tubular member is open and unobstructed.

In operation and when there is an increase in pressure within the tubular member 14 to such a state that liquid is displaced from the annular space 2.7 such a condition will permit the gas to flow through the initial flow ports 29. This gas will bubble upwardly through the liquid within the housing for escape through the conduit fitting 12. The flow of gas through the initial flow ports 29 takes place without displacement of liquid from the annular space 32 and without displacement of liquid from the space 41 within the annular bafile 31. There is an exit of the gas through the initial flow ports 29 without any substantial disturbance of the liquid below the level of the annular flange 28. The flow of gas from within the tubular member 14 through the relatively small volume of the annular space 27 minimizes the effect of the compressibility of gas in altering the liquid level within the annular space 32 and within the area 41. This tends to minimize the inertial effect of varying levels of the liquid within the tubular member 14 and thus avoids changes in pressure within the tubular member 14 and stabilizes the flow of the gas. The end result is an extremely small pressure variation within the tubular member 14 and externally thereof when there is a minimal flow of gas and which represents the most severe condition for pressure variations or surges.

When there is an increase in the flow of the gas to a condition which is beyond the capability of the initial flow ports 29, there is an increase in pressure within the tubular member to displace liquid from the annular space 32 below the level of the flange 28 and gas will exit from the first flow increment ports 36. If there is a further increase in flow, there will be further displacement of liquid to permit the gas to escape from the total flow ports 38. The size, number and disposition of the initial flow ports 29 and the first flow increment ports 36- and the total flow ports 38 is 'based on design conditions for a given flow volume but if additional volumes of gas are to be released through the apparatus the tubular member 14 is open at its lower end for the relief during emergency conditions. If there should be an obstruction at any of the ports the open lower end of the tubular member 14 provides relief of the gas.

In order to maintain a reasonably constant liquid level externally of the tubular member 14 when there is emergency release of the gas from within the tubular member 14 splash barriers 46 in the form of vertically disposed panels are arranged around the lower end portion of the tubular member 14 and spaced outwardly therefrom as best shown in FIG. 3. The upper ends of the panels 46 extend to positions above the liquid level 11 as shown in FIG. 1. These panels 46 prevent violent displacement of liquid away from the lower end portion of the tubular member 14 and thereby maintain a substantially constant liquid level adjacent the lower end portion of the tubular member 14.

While the invention has been described with regard to a particular structural organization, it will be appreciated that changes may be made in the over-all assembly as well as in the component elements. Such changes, and others, may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set LfOI'lZh in the appended claims.

.What is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. 1n apparatus for controlling the flow of a gaseous medium, a housing containing a quantity of liquid, a tubular member for receiving a gaseous medium extending into said housing and having a lower end portion below the level of said liquid, said tubular member having a plurality of initial flow ports therethrough below the level of said liquid, a first annular bafile within said tubular member forming an annular space between the interior of the tubular member and the perimeter of said baflle, sealing means joining said bafile and the tubular member below said initial flow ports, said tubular member having a plurality of first flow increment ports therethrough below the said initial flow ports, a second annular baflle within said tubular member forming an annular space :between the interior of the first bafile and the perimeter of the second baflle, and sealing means joining said second baffle and the tubular member below said first flow increment ports.

2.. In apparatus for controlling the flow of a gaseous medium according to claim 1 wherein the tubular mem ber has a plurality of total flow ports therethrough below the first flow increment ports.

3. In apparatus for controlling the flow of a gaseous medium according to claim 1 wherein the lower end of the tubular member is open and unobstructed.

4. In apparatus for controlling the flow of a gaseous medium according to claim 1 including a plurality of splash barriers disposed about the lower end portion of said tubular member and spaced from the perimeter thereof.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 7/1874 Miller 261--122X 9/1909 Gray 261-122X US. Cl. X.R. 261-123 

